ABSTRACT
Dutch development co-operation with countries of the Third World has undergone considerable change during the last few decades. This is true with respect to its objectives, the size of the aid budget and its composition, as well as its geographical distribution. Thinking about development aid has also drastically changed during this period among politicians, scholars and the general public in the Netherlands. This contribution focuses on the relationship between this 'thinking' and the practice of development aid through a case study of bilateral development cooperation between the Netherlands and Mali during the period 1975 1996. Key questions are:
To what extent have changes in the Netherlands-Mali aid relationship been affected by the evolution of development theory?
How have domestic policy concerns and public opinion guided the aid relationship?
What has been the impact of changing trends in multilateral development policy advanced by institutions such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the European Commission and the Comité Interétats de la Lutte contre la Sécheresse dans le Sahel (CILSS)?
To what extent has the Malian side been able to influence the aid relationship?
What are the achievements and shortcomings of Dutch aid to Mali?
